The King of Sands
by LucidFantasy
Summary: Set in the familiar land of Hyrule, a (hopefully) surprising and unconventional take on the classic OoT story. Expect twists ahead! Reviews make writing easier so please don't hesitate to leave me some words! Hope you enjoy
1. Prologue

**Hello there, you! Thanks for coming :)**

**My first foray into fan fiction, and LoZ seems the obvious place to start. Ocarina of Time gripped me absolutely as a child, despite having very little in the way of characterisation and dialogue. The mythology and the art of the game(s) lend an implicit depth to the world of Hyrule, and, despite the archetypal roles and simple narrative, it is easy (and fun!) to speculate and wonder about how it might be fleshed out. An obvious starting point is to get inside the head of our mute protagonist, Link, and deuteragonist, Zelda. Who are they really? What drives them? What are they thinking and feeling?**

**Well that's all good fun, but this work in fact hinges on a different idea I've been playing with for a while, and one which (surprisingly) does not seem to have been done justice yet. No spoilers though! If you want to know where this is going you'll have to read on!**

**I'm probably going to edit this a fair bit as I go until I get into the swing of things. Forgive me - I'm only just starting out as a writer. Feedback and criticism is most welcome! Read, review, enjoy!**

~LF

* * *

**Prologue**

_In this vast, deep forest of Hyrule, long have I served as the guardian spirit and long have the children of the forest, the Kokiri, lived here in peace under me. For so long, the Kokiri Forest, the source of life, has stood as a barrier, deterring outsiders and maintaining the order of the world._

_Listen carefully to what I, the Deku Tree, am about to tell thee. Dost thou sense it? The climate of evil descending upon this realm? Malevolent forces even now are mustering to attack our land of Hyrule.  
But... before this tremendous evil power, even my power is as nothing. Thy slumber these past moons must have been restless, and full of nightmares. As the servants of evil gain strength, a vile climate pervades the land and causes nightmares to those sensitive to it. Verily, I know thou hast felt it. It seems the time has come at last for the boy without a fairy to begin his journey; the youth whose destiny it is to lead Hyrule to the path of justice and truth. The time has come to test thy courage. Dost thou have courage enough to undertake this task?_

_The fate of the forest, nay, the world, may depend upon thee!_

_Take heed of my words, child, for we have not much time and there is much to say. A wicked man cast this dreadful curse upon me. This evil man ceaselessly uses his vile, sorcerous powers in his search for the Sacred Realm that is connected to Hyrule, for it is in that Sacred Realm that one will find the divine relic, the Triforce, which contains the essence of the gods..._

_Before time began, before spirits and life existed, three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule:_

_Din, the goddess of power, who with her strong flaming arms, she cultivated the land and created the red earth..._

_Nayru, the goddess of wisdom, who poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world..._

_Farore, the goddess of courage, who with her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law..._

_These three great goddesses, their labours completed, departed for the heavens. At the point where the goddesses left the world, three golden sacred triangles remained; the tripartite union of the goddesses'power. The Triforce._

_Since then, the Triforce have become the basis of our world's providence. The Triforce itself rests in a place known as the Sacred Realm. Thou must never allow this wicked sorcerer to lay his hands on the sacred Triforce. Thou must never suffer that man, with his evil heart, to enter the Sacred Realm of legend. That evil man who cast the death curse upon me and sapped my power... Because of that curse, my end is nigh. Yes, I must pass away._

_But do not grieve for me. For I have been able to tell you of these important matters, and thou art truly Hyrule's final hope. Go now to Hyrule Castle and thou shalt surely meet the Princess of Destiny. Take this holy stone with you. This stone that man wanted so much, that he cast this doom upon me. The future depends on thee._

_Carry out my last will... I entreat ye..._

_Good...bye..._


	2. The King of Sands I

**The King of Sands**

On arriving in Castle Town, the first thing to strike the young king was the smell. Well, more precisely, the lack of certain smells. Absent were the familiar scents of dust and heat, of spice and sweat, odours that he had previously associated with populous areas and markets. Instead the air reeked of pungent foodstuffs, both fresh and rotten, stinking freely in the dry atmosphere without the camouflage afforded by humidity. Raw fish, raw flesh, strange flowers, strange pets, over-ripe fruits and over-ripe cheese; all of these seemed to vie for the title of strongest stench. The smells were inescapable and quite nauseating.

Suddenly aware of the stares he was receiving, the young man attempted to alter his expression into something other than a grimace. As a stranger in a strange land, it would be unwise to make such a bad first impression. The very worst thing to do would be to attract too much attention. He feigned a wistful look, but from the corner of his eyes observed that the stares had not reduced in number. To the contrary, quite a number of people had began to crowd around to the extent that the path to the palace was now outlined by staggered walls of townsfolk. Just as each wandering trader began to join the growing throng, so each pair of wandering eyes began to drift across the procession, and, invariably, fix upon the king. He let out an involuntary sigh. So much for not attracting attention.

_Of course_, thought the king,_ they would stare no matter what_. Despite the town's somewhat metropolitan nature, a procession of foreign royalty was still something rare and awesome to behold. Thrust back into uncomfortable self-awareness, the man tried his best to adopt a noble posture, regal even, as he sat astride his great black stallion, and rode carefully between the watching crowds. Thankfully the townsfolk were at least accustomed enough to the visits of foreign dignitaries that they had the good sense not to block the group's passage to the castle. To have an escort of Hyrulean cavalry as well as his own guards seemed excessive; it seemed the castle loved its pagaentry.

Trying to focus on something other than the smells and stares confronting him in this strange city, the man rehearsed his reason for being here. Time passes so quickly, he thought. Only two months previous had he even been crowned. He lost himself in thoughts and memories for the rest of the journey.

The people of Hyrule crowded the path more and more densely as the procession continued. There was no cheering, but no jeering either. A weighty silence seemed to cover the whole town as the people witnessed the majestic stranger glide into their city. As young as he was, his presence was forceful, magnetic even; he rode his horse like a king, upright and strong. And with green skin and a great jewel buried in his forehead, he was unlike anything the Hyruleans had ever seen. Even his name tasted strange on the tongue. And this man had power; those with foresight in the crowd could feel it. A strange power had come to Hyrule. Things were sure to happen. History was sure to be made.

Ganondorf, the King of Sands, had arrived.

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_Hi all! My first time contributing to this site. I want to expand this out at some point to make a more chunky opening chapter, but I'm still feeling out the structure for the story I want to tell. Expect some edits!_

_I hope you enjoy the little that I'm putting up for now, short as it is. If you read it and like it, please let me know - I treasure all the encouragement I get! I promise you're in for quite the story if you stick with me (not that this is apparent from the above yet!)._

_Thanks so much in advance!_

_~LF_


	3. The King of Sands II

**The King of Sands**

Hyrule Castle was a grand and lavish place, a monument to the craftsmanship of Hylian architects. On entering the main gate, the front-runners of procession quickly began to alight from their horses. The young king and his companions did likewise, handing their horses off to some fresh-faced stewards - presumably to lead the horses onwards to some nearby stable. Dismounting elegantly while his stallion still trotted forward, Ganondorf gave his steed a pat and whispered gently as a steward took the reins from him. _There, there, Gyatras. I won't be long._ He nodded curtly to the steward before Gyatras was led away.

It was only now the northern chill reminded him where he was. Ganondorf clutched his robe around him instinctively, though it gave little warmth. A piece of cloth was all it was; though coloured resplendently in tones of black and gold, it offered no defence against these winds that pierced even stone.

_And stone there is aplenty_, thought the king, gazing up at the majestic stone walls from within the castle. Much of the masonry was so finely done, it oft seemed as though the castle had been carved out of one vast fragment of rock. As if that alone wasn't testament to the skill of the builders, the detail was exquisite. Floral patterning and heraldic devices criss-crossed the walls and ceiling. Impressed, Ganondorf reached out to trace one such design. The cold stone seemed to grab at him, leeching the heat from his hand. It was strange to feel such coldness on stone.

Stone. Cold stone. So very different from the sandstone and marble of the valley. On the journey here, he had tracked across sand, mud and stone, making it seem as if the density of the world converged in this place. The weight of Hyrule, its seat. The obvious place to house the Golden Throne.

_...all this could be yours...  
_

The thought tracked across his mind unbidden. He quashed it with a grimace and picked up his pace. He was here to meet the king. The last thing he wanted was his inner voice to reflect his true self to the monarch. I would be hanged for treason - or worse. Ganondorf was envious, and he knew it. He could feel it gnawing at his heart. This palace, this finery, even the cold stone filled him with a yearning at the very core of his being. In the desert, even water was a valuable commodity. Here fresh water flowed through the castle itself, slaking the earth's thirst, and the people's. Here even peasants feasted on the fat of the land whilst in the desert men were starving and dying._  
_

_...the strong take what they want..._

The whispers echoed around his mind, seeming to multiply. _No_, he thought. _Not here, not now_. The King of Hyrule was not someone to be taken lightly. Some said he could see through a man, and into his soul. The Royal Family of Hyrule had magic in their very blood. Even a stray thought could be disastrous. _They have no love for the Gerudo. I must not give them cause to hate us._

Shouting an internal mantra loud enough to drown out the insidious whispers within him, Ganondorf stepped onwards with purpose towards the heart of the palace. Towards the Golden Throne.

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_Like Chapter 1, at some point I want to flesh this out. I'm keeping it short and sweet for the moment while I get a grip on what I'm doing._

_As always, read, review and enjoy! :)_

_~LF_


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